Thread: Wooden NS14 restoration - How does this traveller work? ... and much more

MIK,

Thanks for the tip, i probably wont bother in the end but i will give the timber boom a go though.

Funny you say to remove the mandrel out of the mast. Every time i move the mast you can hear the tinkle tinkle of said offenders right the way down to the lower end. Annoying!

I double checked my boom and its 40mm at the widest point but all the fittings are designed for a tubular section. I may be able to add rounded sections to the 'T' section so i can still use them. Pockets arent too deep atm he he.

Thanks

Ace

Can you take a photo of your boom?

I think almost everything could be adapted or replaced with bits of spectra. Most raceboats don't use many stainless steel fittings to hang blocks these days .. just bits of string.

MIK

Hey,

Here are some pics of the boom, gooseneck and outhaul. All of the fittings just need a tidy up and they would be good to go again.

Mik....Do you have any pics of how lashing of the blocks etc would work out? Would be a lot easier in the end.

Cheers

Ace

There are two types of common gooseneck. Strap or pin.

YOU can either bend the two straps so they are 19mm apart and bolt through the boom. If you don't think it can be bent then you will have to pad the boom out so it matches the gap between the straps.

MIK

Im curious to know, after reading some posts about the NS14, how much is involved in making a timber mast? MIK, i think that you have made reference to them before in another post.

Loved the rigs on that era of NS. A cheapish over rotating wooden mast for excellent aerodynamics.

Cheers

Ace

There were a few quite cool timber masts made over the history of the NS14. It is a lot of trouble to go to when you have an alloy mast right there.

I would suggest getting the boat sailing without making a wooden mast just yet. And while you are sailing around happily you can make a replacement mast if you want. There is a rigged NS14 with a '78 generation wood mast in the maritime museum I can check or you could look at the Dribbly Bethwaite early masts whick were square oregon with the track and balsa glued on the front to make it more aerodynamic.

Later there were some very cool wooden masts around the early 2000s but they were cut out when more carbon was allowed.

The hidden cost here is the number of fittings you have to buy to make it work. If everything can be transferred across then it could be little more than the wood and glue, but if you have to replace stuff it could become expensive.

The most difficult part of doing a wooden rotating mast is the track. Not difficult with

The wood mast might bend quite differently from the alloy one which might mean the sail may not work as well.

Best wishes
Michael

I was just curious to know after having a read of that thread.

I would love to see the NS14 in the museum, would be an interesting plae to visit.

Cheers

Ace

Howdy Ace,

It is in the annex with the skiffs and so on, not in the main museum ... ask at the main desk for directions.

I think I had some pics. My last racing NS14 had both this model of timber mast AND the Gary Fogg Sails. So very nostalgic. The rig is much more modern than the hull which is a Javelin or close relative.





The boat is a real mix of eras with some things from the 60s (hull and foils and boom - your hull is much more elegant), 70s (mast and sail) through to almost the 80s (the jib sheeting adjustment system). Quite a bit is improperly rigged - needs someone who knows the boats to spend a day going through.

Some things are just anachronistic - like the fatness of the sheets and ropes on the thing.

MIK

Hey,

What a great looking boat, i love the look of the diagonally cut decking in the bottom pic. Looks amazing. I can see some similarities between my hull and the ones in the pics. Thanks.

Just had a quick look at the Maritime Museum website, i think i will have to plan a visit very soon. Also, went out for a fish on a mates boat off Shoal Bay here in Newcastle today, it was great to see a fair few people sailing. Everything from small dinghys to large cruising yatchs. I did catch a few but if i didnt, it wouldnt have been a waste due to the amount of things to look at on the water, and on the beach ;-)

Cheers

Ace

Did you catch the dinghies or the cruising yachts .... your wording made it uncertain!!!

Sounds like a nice day ... it is pretty nice to be out there!

Sorry, i should have expanded. I caught some fish, which was a surprise! What i meant was, if i didnt catch any fish it wouldnt have been a waste of a day.

Cheers

Ace

Hey,

I have just discovered that i have lost the fittings that are attached to the hull for my side stays! Very annoyed!!!!!!!!!!!! It was a stainless bracket that had two holes for fore and aft adjustment. I will now have to get into work and try and manufacture another set. Is there another alternative that could be screwed into roughly the same area? That would be a lot easier.

When i did have the NS partially rigged, before i tore it apart, there was some slack in the stays that allowed for some movement of the mast. What should the mast be "allowed" to do? After watching the 16ft skiffs yesterday, the stays were rock solid as far as i could tell.

Cheers

Ace

G'day Ace,
The stays should be capable of being set up tight as that is what keeps the jib luff tight and able to work efficiently to windward. Some boats had stays on fore & aft tracks so that the leeward stay could be let off on a run, but it would always be retensioned before coming on the wind again. Very few boats used turnbuckles, the flat plate stay adjusters were much cheaper and stronger. I always left the stays alone after adjusting the mast rake and tensioned the rig with a lacing from the jib tack to a bow shackle on the bow fitting. It's amazing how much tension you can get with four loops of venetian blind cord through a shackle and a thimble. Whatever you use for the chainplates, make sure they are solidly backed up with substantial ply doubling, you don't want them to pull out.
( Mik, how did you get way with such a slack vang? I generally had a 15/1 purchase on mine.)
Cheers
Graeme

Hey,

Thanks for that information, its difficult to find much on rigging etc

With everything setup properly, should the mast be able to move? (from memory it didnt move a large amount, maybe 3-4inches at the mast tip)

Currently, with my level of experience, im not too concerned with mast rake etc as this boat will not be anywhere near a competition. A basic setup is all im after atm so i can get this thing going. Ill concentrate on the finer points later down the track.

Thanks for the tips

Ace